Refrigerator-car floor.



Gf H. ELLIS.

REFRIGERATOR CAR FLOOR.

APPLICATION FlLED MAR.16,1914.

Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

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l REFRIGERATOR-CAR FLOOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

Application filed March 16, 1914. Serial No. 824,959.

T0 al? 11x71 om it may concern Be itknown that l', GEORGE H. ELLIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerator-Car Floors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates particularly to refrigerator cars, and has for its object to provide an improved insulated floor structure therefor.

Generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like p arts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings: Figure l is a fragmentary view in sectional perspective showing a portion of a refrigerator car having its floor construction in accordance with my invention; and Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing one of the insulating panels of the loor structure with some parts broken away and with some parts of the panel envelop or cover opened up. f

Of the parts of the car, the numeral 1 indicates one of the walls and the numerals 2, 3 and 4, respectively, the side sills, intermediate sills, and floor boards of. the floor structure. The numeral 5 indicates the customary floor cleats which are nailed to the floor boards 4 and serve to support boxes or other articles on the floor with freedom for circulation of cold air under the same.

My improved floor insulation is made substantially on the unit plan, or more specifically stated, is made up of a multiplicity of insulating panels which are interposed between the floor 'sills 2 and 3. Each of these floor panels comprises a water proof envelop orcover 6, and a filler of insulating material such as flax felt of the character well known to the trade as flax linum. As preferably constructed, this filler is made up of a plurality of fibrous felted sheets 7 and interposed spacing strips 8, which strips form a plurality of air spaces 9 between the said sheets. The sheets and the spacing strips themselves, of course, have myriads of air spaces therein, so that the filler and its casing afford heat insulating bodies of very high etliciency. The envelop 6 is preferably made from light weight of asphalt roofing which is not only water proof, but 1s. itself, a good insulating material. The edges of the sheets forming the envelop 6 are overlapped and the joints are cemented together so that all water is kept out of contact with the insulating material or filler. This is highly important, because water will not only sour and rot insulating mate rial, such as fiax felt and most other insulating materials, but will very greatly decrease the heat insulating quality thereof. The insulating panels are located below the car Hoor, between the sills, and should be spaced below the car floor, so as to afford an air space of such depth that nails or spikes driven through the car floor will not puncture the water proof envelop or coverings of the said panels; and when thus applied, they either, themselves, constitute a subfloor or coperate vwith supporting boards to afford such a sub-floor and insulation. In the present arrangement illustrated in the drawings, sub-floor boards 10 are arranged between the sills 2 and 3 and are supported therefrom vby wooden cleats 11, preferably nailed directly to the said sills. The insulating panels are placed edge to edge upon the said boards l0, and preferable, their end edges are inserted directly under retaining cleats 12, nailed to the sills and overlapping the panels in suchmanner that they are held tightly down upon the boards 10. This construction permits the insulating panels to be very easily applied to old cars, as Well as to new cars, after the flooring 1 has been nailed to the sills and the car body nearly or quite completed. It also enables repairs to be made by the insertion of one or more new panels to take the place of old panels. Obviously, when the supporting cleats 11 are removed, the sub-Hoor boards l0 and the panels will drop from position.

Also, it is evident that the panels and the Usually the nails or brads 14 used, will beso long that they will project considerably through the ioor boards 4. If the insulating panels were placed up close to or against 5 the ioor boards 4, such nails would puncture the water proof envelops thereof, but with the arrangement described,the said panels are located so far below the floor boards i that they cannot be punctured by any nails or brads that will be used to secure anchoring cleats or blocks to the door cleats, The water from the ice melting within the car will, as is well known, run through the joints or other openings in the car Hoor. Considerable of this water, in the arrangement described, will run upon the water proof envelops of the insulating panels, but cannot get into contact with the insulating llers thereof, but on the contrary, will run between the joints of the panels and through the oints or other openings of the sub-oors l() and out of the car. `With this improved arrangement therefore, opportunity is afforded for the water to run through the car floor without any possibility of the-same ,coming into contact with the insulating fillers of the insulating panels. The panels are, therefore, maintained always in condition to afford the highest possible heat insulating. quality. Such construction is,

therefore, not only efficient, but durable and easily applied and repaired. From a broad point of View, a refrigerator car is, of course, a. refrigerator, and it will be understood that these water proof insulating panels may be used wherever found desirable in the various different kinds of refrigerators.

The light weight asphalt roofing, preferably used as above stated, is of such small cost as to make its use feasible, and it not floor pervious to at least the same degree and a heat insulating layer between the two comprising separate units, each consisting of an insulating body composed of fiber, and for each such unit' a waterproof envelop excluding moisture from the fiber, while the separateness of the units permits of substantially the same degreeof percolation as the said iioors.

2. A floor structure comprising an upper door somewhat pervious to moisture, a lower lfloor pervious to at least the same degree,

and a heat-insulating layer between the two floors, comprising separate units, each unit consisting of an insulating filler, and for each such unit a water-proof envelop eX- cluding moisture from said filler, the said units being assembled in such manner as to permit of at least the same degree of percolation from said upper Hoor to said lower floor, as is permitted through said upper floor.

3. A floor structure. comprising an upper oor somewhat pervious to moisture, a lower door pervious to at least the same degree, and a heat-insulating layer of water-proof insulating units assembled between said floors, said units being assembled in such manner as to permit of at least thesame degree of percolation from said upper floor to said lower floor, as is permitted through said upper floor.

In testimony whereof l ax my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE H. ELLlS.

Witnesses:

RRY D. Kmsomi, F. D. MERCHANT. 

